Standing on a 45 degree angle from the surrounding Eixample grid system, this hospital was built by Domènech i Muntaner based on the notion that aesthetic harmony and pleasant surroundings were good for the health. He certainly did a good job. The red brick buildings are stunning, marked by a combination of colourfull tiles that accentuates its walls and roof, and the occasional mosaic, such as those depicting SS. Cosma & Damian (shown below).
The beauty of the surroundings, the quietness, only heightened my awareness that this is still a working hospital, marked by all the quiet sadness, hope and despair that such buildings often conjure. The ambulances, the doctors in white gowns, the odd patient sitting outside carrying a fluid flask, all erase the impression that this is a mere tourist destination. Suddenly I felt I was invading their privacy.
After the visit to the hospital we walked down Av. Gaudi – a nice tree-lined (what street in Barcelona is not tree-lined??) boulevard with a central promenade and sprinkled liberally with little cafes and shops. We stopped for a hot chocolate at Mora, a local chocolaterie and patisserie. Like in Paris, a hot chocolate in Barcelona is not your usual milk chocolate either…
building bridges 